I don’t really want to listen to the music, and I’m not heading to Winnipeg to catch the tour, but this week solidified my adoration for Canadian Idol. Case in point: Americans had to suffer through Andrew Lloyd Webber week, while our Canadian counterparts were treated to the emotional core of popular music–dead people. Sure, the producers fancied up the proceedings by calling the theme of last night’s episode “Rock and Roll Heaven,” but a week dedicated to musicians who have nothing in common besides the fact that they’re no longer alive still reaches new heights of tasteless spectacle. Well played, Canadians.

Two people got their Jason Castro on with tributes to Bob Marley, who just extended his dorm-room dominance to a new generation of Canadians.

Theo Tams – “No Woman, No Cry”

Amberly Thiessen – “Redemption Song”

Some guy named Earl did “Light My Fire.” (No, I’m not posting the YouTube clip.) My fave, Mookie Morris, took on James Brown’s “I Feel Good.” This guy did a Kooks song a few weeks ago!

Mitch McDonald is the pride of his homeland today, as he had the civic pride to perform music by dead Canadian Jeff Healey. (I wondered why no one did a Gordon Lightfoot track, but it turns out, he’s not actually dead. My mistake.) Good call, Mitch. “Angel Eyes” could bring any roadhouse to tears.

Your life might not be complete without seeing Drew Wright’s performance of “No Rain.” Somehow, he managed to make it sound more like reggae than the two Marley tracks.

There were a few other people on the show as well, but nothing too notable. Sebastian Pigott’s take on an Elvis song was particularly awful, and will probably send him home; Mark Day’s performance of Luther Vandross’ “Dance With My Father” had a heavy-handed quality–and a somewhat authentic tear near the end–that will qualify him to be the Clay Aiken of the Great White North.

Canadian Idol, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for next week. How isn’t there an all-Idol cable channel already, so we can enjoy cross-border simulcasts of this magical, magical show? It’s hurts that I have to wait a day for YouTube to catch up.